Hear Hunter Hayes’ Soul-Searching Single, ‘Dear God’
Hunter Hayes may have millions of record sales and five Grammy nominations under his belt, but as evidenced by his new song "Dear God," the well-accomplished singer has the same struggles with self-confidence and acceptance as all of us.
The song is an achingly personal study of self-doubt, presented in a prayer-like format to God: "Why does my life have to hurt so much?/Why can't I find any piece of love?/And why do I feel like I'm not enough?/Dear God, are You sure that You don't mess up?"
Hayes doesn't reach any conclusions by the end of the song, except to confirm (seemingly reluctantly) that God has reasons for everything and nothing is a mistake. The open-ended non-resolution adds another layer of deep personal introspection to the composition.
Hayes, who wrote the song with pop hit-maker Andy Grammer and songwriter Dave Spencer, explained in a release its origins. "I had just gotten back from a TV performance in New York and was exhausted but excited to have an evening hang/write booked with Andy Grammer,” he says. “We started by talking for an hour for his podcast. We covered a lot of topics but one of the big things I took away from it was the human condition of never feeling 'good enough.'"
Hayes apparently had already had an idea brewing before sitting down with Grammer. "I had written a letter on the plane that was at first [called] 'Dear World' before I realized I was actually writing to God."
The pair fleshed out the concept, with a key addition adding an element of spiritual doubt: "When Andy took the series of questions we were making for the chorus and turned the last one into ‘are you sure that you don’t mess up’ it hit me really hard," Hayes notes. "I ask that all the time and I don't think I’m not the only one. It’s a valid question and one I truly believe you don’t ask unless you already know that answer because the opposite would be entirely too scary to live with.
"The song’s description of the nights when I question my world couldn’t be more vulnerable. We all face the question of being good enough for the world around us and sometimes we just need a reminder that we are.”
Hayes noted earlier this year that he's working on a forthcoming studio album, to be released later in 2018.